Senior Engineer Behavioral: Explaining Something You Learned Recently and Applied
MicrosoftSoftware Engineer · HR Screen
Last updated
A senior software engineer behavioral question asking the candidate to describe one thing they learned recently. It tests curiosity and learning habits, the ability to explain a new concept clearly and accurately with its limits, and whether the learning was applied to real work with a visible result.
In a behavioral interview for a senior software engineer role, you are asked to describe one thing you have learned recently. Choose something specific, explain it well enough that the interviewer learns it too, and describe why you learned it and what you did with it.
Clarifying Questions
- Does it need to be technical, or is a skill such as writing, mentoring or estimating acceptable?
- Does "recently" mean the last few weeks or the last few months?
- Should it relate to the role you are interviewing for?
Hints
Hint 1
Narrow beats broad: A specific concept you can explain in a minute and point to a real use of is stronger than a broad topic you have only read about.
Follow-up questions
- Explain it to me as you would to a new graduate on your team.
- Where does it not work, or when would you choose something else?
- How do you decide what to learn next, and how do you make time for it?
- Did you share it with your team, and did it change how they work?
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